Hi All,

I applied a coat of CP (Flex Coat) to an open wrap last night. The coat went on straight, I did not cut the CP at all. It appears that on the wrap itself the CP is fine but on the bare blank I have some imperfections that will look a bit tacky after I apply the finish. I have seen this before. Should I be preparing / cleaning the blank in some manner before wrapping and/or applying the CP?

Thanks

Jim

What exactly happened on the blank? What are you terming an "imperfection?"

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I would say that as the CP dried it almost looks as if a few small bubbles formed and then "popped" leaving a small blemish.

Jim

Jim - When doing an OPEN WRAP with NO UNDERWRAP Thread, you do NOT NEED to apply any Color Preserver (CP) to the BARE ROD BLANK in the open spaces between the pattern where there is no Thread. The CP will not do the bare rod blank any good whatsoever. B)-

CP in this circumstance may do just what you have described - have a bit of a hard time drying. What to do now is a little hard to say. If removable by simple wiping or scraping off with a tooth pick, that is the way to go, IMO. It is a bit tedious, but will give better results in the long run, and give you a chance to remove those imperfections you mentioned (whatever they were).

So, if the CP’s Adhesion to the rod blank is poor at this stage, remove the CP at your first convenience. If the CP's adhesion to the rod blank is too good or gummy, then you may need to wait another 24-48 hours to let it harden after a warm-air treatment from a low or medium setting on a hair-dryer. Resist the temptation to use a solvent to aid in the CP’s removal. You do not want to wet the CP on your Thread with a solvent that may turn it white or wipe off the CP from the border Threads in your Pattern.

Once the CP is dry, then cover the Open Space with Epoxy Thread Finish (ETF) when you are ready to encase the Threads-Pattern itself. This 2nd-Last option may not be so bad or so distant a 2nd choice if you are planning on applying so much FlexCoat ETF as to high-build & “level” the Open Spaces with the Height of the Thread in the Pattern.

In the future, do not apply the CP or ETF to the bare rod blank in an Open Wrap that has no underwrap. ... If you do want to apply the ETF to the entire Butt Wrap, to better seal and encase the Pattern and / or to create a level finish height thru-out the Pattern, then a light scuffing of the Rod Blank BEFORE YOU START BUTT-WRAPPING would be in order.

Fortunately for you at this stage, FlexCoat has a better track record than most other ETFs for decent adhesion to a bare rod blank. ... Just be apprised of the risks of poor adhesion, which is a little hard to predict from here. ... Good Luck, … Cliff Hall.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2006 01:22PM by Cliff Hall.

You may find that those little areas simply disappear under the epoxy. You could always try a test stick with a similar appearance so you'll know what to expect.

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Jim, i wrap a lot of spiral wraps on my rods for decoration, and have cp on the rod blank in the open parts of the wrap, as Tom says the imperfections , as you call them usually disappear after applying the epoxy. Try a couple tests. Good luck..........Gene